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US Airways to reveal its new look

What will US Airways' planes look like after its merger with America West goes through? The answer will come Tuesday, when the company unveils one if its Airbus A320 jets repainted in the company's new paint scheme. So far, the only word to leak out about the new design came in an email sent by US Airways management to employees. That e-mail shows a silhouette of a jet, with small cross section filled in with what the new jet's paint scheme look like. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describes the cross section as "showing a silvery-white top and lines that appear to resemble the waves on America West's white, turquoise and red planes. Covering the bottom of the plane are a thick navy-blue stripe and a thin red stripe — colors currently visible on US Airways' fleet." The Charlotte Observer (free registration) says the redesigned jets will have throwback features that honor US Airways' predecessors such as Piedmont and Allegheny airlines. Meanwhile, the Post-Gazette says the first hints of the new design have generated a flurry of activity on airline message boards. One member posting a message on airliners.net wrote this about the glimpse offered in US Airways' e-mail to workers: "They are teasing us." Posted 6:30 a.m.

Merger moves ahead: US Airways announced on Wednesday some of its most concrete steps yet regarding the merger. The airline says it is altering three of its policies to align them with rules in place at America West. Among the changes, according to Reuters: Unaccompanied minors can no longer fly on connecting flights, nor can live animals be transported as either checked items or as cargo. Also, passengers needing supplemental oxygen will no longer be able to purchase it on US Airways flights, though the airline says it's is working to implement new policies as a result of the FAA's recent approval of Portable Oxygen Concentrators. The changes take effect Oct. 1, reports the Washington Business Journal. (Correction: Today in the Sky had originally reported this morning that pets could not carried onboard. That is incorrect; pets can be brought in carry-on luggage, subject to the airline's policies on traveling with pets. The original mistake has been corrected in this item.) Posted 6:30 a.m.

Northwest strike situation remains bleak: Negotiators representing both management and the airline's mechanics union reported some progress during talks to avoid a strike, but the situation still looks bleak. "At this point, with two days and a few hours left (before a strike), we have the Grand Canyon to span before we're going to be able to make an agreement," Steve MacFarlane of Northwest's mechanics' union tells the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald/AP. A strike at the airline could happen anytime after 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. Northwest has hired replacement workers and says it's prepared to fly as normal, even if there is a labor stoppage. Most experts, however, predict at least a few disruptions if mechanics go on strike. Meanwhile, the potential strike has fliers already booked on Northwest fretting about their options. The St. Paul Pioneer-Press (free registration) takes a stab at some of the more common concerns in a Q&A session. When asked "in what situations is it a particularly bad idea to fly Northwest?" Minnesota travel manager David Swedlund tells the paper: "That first day's going to be a nightmare, I'm sure, so just stay away from it." Meanwhile, the FAA says it will step up safety oversight of the carrier if the strike materializes. Inspectors "will be closely monitoring all of (the airline's) maintenance" work, an agency spokeswoman tells USA TODAY. Posted 6:45 a.m.

Southwest says Wright Amendment is 'outdated': Southwest Airlines is preparing a new assault on the Wright Amendment. The carrier is expected to launch a series of ads tonight that argue the amendment is as outdated as other arcane laws that are still technically on the books. Among the laws Southwest compares the Wright Amendment to are a Delaware law that says perfume cannot be sold as a beverage and a Massachusetts law that bars mules from being taken to the second floor of a building. "While repealing the Wright amendment is a very serious issue, this is all about reminding people that we're still the same fun-loving Southwest," Joyce Rogge, the airline's senior vice president of marketing, tells The Dallas Morning News (free registration). Southwest has been part of a months-long effort to repeal the Wright Amendment, which prohibits long-haul flights at Dallas Love Field — the carrier's "home" airport. On the other side of the debate are Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International and American, which has its largest hub at DFW. Both are fighting feverishly to keep the ban in place. DFW is currently spending $900,000 on radio and billboard ads that advocate keeping the amendment intact. American is "contemplating the idea of running advertising, but we haven't made a decision yet," says airline spokesman Tim Wagner. Posted 8:45 a.m.

Safety allegations surface about airline in Venezuela crash: The Colombian airline that operated the flight that crashed in Venezuela Tuesday has suspended all of its flights. That comes amid charges from the Colombian Pilots Association (CPA) that it had warned Colombia's regulators about the airline's safety practices. All 160 people aboard the West Caribbean Airways flight were killed in the crash. Alberto Padilla, president of the CPA, says his organization warned Colombia's Civil Aeronautic Board, both about West Caribbean and other issues involving Colombia's aviation infrastructure. "We had sent various letters announcing our worries, not only with regard to West, but also with regard to aerial security in general," Padilla is quoted as saying by The Miami Herald (free registration). As for West Caribbean, Padilla says six of the company's seven remaining planes were in maintenance because of financial woes, and The Herald writes the West Caribbean's MD-82 that crashed Tuesday "had flown nearly 20 hours straight to cover the company's remaining routes … before tacking on the fatal charter from Panama to Martinique." Posted 8:45 a.m.

ATA faces cash crunch; how will Southwest react? ATA Airlines said it lost $54.8 million during the second quarter, Commercial Aviation Today reports. The carrier reported those numbers in a filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, in which it also issued an ominous statement about the future of the carrier. "Based on its current financial projections, the company believes that it will require a capital infusion," the carrier said in its filing. "The company has retained advisors to assist in raising the necessary capital and is seeking $100 million in financing in the expectation of emergence from Chapter 11. The company believes up to $50 million in additional funds will be required to provide the liquidity necessary to continue as a going concern through the end of 2005." Despite the apparent crash crunch at ATA, it would be interesting to see the reaction from codeshare partner Southwest to any additional trouble at ATA. Southwest has benefited greatly from its codeshare alliance with ATA, which allows Southwest to expand its reach by selling seats on ATA flights to airports like Honolulu, New York LaGuardia and Washington National. If ATA ceased flying, Southwest would likely lose access to most of those markets. Posted 11:30 a.m.

Varig increases U.S. options to Brazil: Beginning Dec. 15, VARIG Brazilian Airlines will boost flights to Brazil from both New York and Miami. The carrier will increase flights on its New York JFK-Sao Paulo route to 11 a week, and to 13 a week on its Miami-Sao Paulo run. Posted 11:30 a.m.

How high can you fly? Most fliers know that Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport, but where's the highest airport? Soon, it could be in China's mountainous Tibet region. State media reports that the airport would be near Tibet's border with India and Pakistan. The airport would be only the third in the Himalayan region once it is completed, AFP quotes the state Xinhua news agency as saying. The airport will be 14,300 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest airports in the world. Posted 1:30 a.m.

Ben Mutzabaugh is a reporter for USATODAY.com. Contact him by e-mail at travel@usatoday.com. An attempt is made to answer every e-mail in a timely fashion, but the volume of feedback may create a delay.